Nanette Lepore

"This is the first time in several seasons that I'm not working with super techy fabrics," said Nanette Lepore backstage before her Spring show. Like many designers this week, Lepore found a new freshness in softer, easy—almost deflated—silhouettes and worked with more natural materials that gave the clothes movement. "It's all about romanticism but done in a modern way," she said. The finale series of long, blush-colored embroidered dresses best encapsulated this message. Meanwhile, the real standouts here were several wispy, bias-cut silk slips featuring slim, fluttering peplums that came in vibrant hues like poppy red, daffodil yellow, and aqua blue. Those ultra-feminine numbers aside, Lepore's latest lineup offered plenty of everyday looks, too, including a sharp white leather jacket paired with a mesh sweater and clean, pleated tennis skirt, as well as relaxed suiting separates. "We're dressing women for work again," Lepore added. Playful accessories like collage-printed leather satchels, Birkenstock-like flat sandals, and rubber-soled mules highlighted the collection's youthful appeal. Overall, it felt at once effortlessly relevant and on-brand for Lepore.